Broward Won`t Receive Aids Education Grant

September 26, 1987|By KAREN BRANDON, Staff Writer

The Broward County school system`s request for $350,000 to finance education on AIDS was turned down on Friday.

The grant would have been used to provide instruction about the fatal disease to students in grades seven, eight, 11 and 12, according to Diane Scalise, the school district`s health education supervisor.

AIDS instruction for grades six, nine and 10 began in the spring as part of health courses required in those grades, she said.

Although the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta turned down Broward`s request, it approved financing for two Florida projects. The Florida Department of Education received $300,000, and the Dade County School District received $125,000.

The CDC awarded $7.32 million in grants to be distributed among 42 local, state and national programs.

A grants specialist for the CDC said the organization attempted to finance as many proposals as possible with the money available. The CDC received 70 applications, he said.

Florida`s state grant will be used to share information about AIDS education among the school districts in the state, according to Dorothy Routh, director of policy, research and improvement for the state education department.

One portion of the grant will be used to finance three public school districts that come up with creative AIDS education programs, she said.

Scalise said she was disappointed that the county`s proposal was not selected but that she would begin looking for ways to receive any available portion of the state grant.